Nanomedicine for autophagy modulation in cancer therapy: a clinical perspective

In recent years, progress in nanotechnology provided new tools to treat cancer more effectively. Advances in biomaterials tailored for drug delivery have the potential to overcome the limited selectivity and side effects frequently associated with traditional therapeutic agents. While autophagy is pivotal in determining cell fate and adaptation to different challenges, and despite the fact that it is frequently dysregulated in cancer, antitumor therapeutic strategies leveraging on or targeting this process are scarce. This is due to many reasons, including the very contextual effects of autophagy in cancer, low bioavailability and non-targeted delivery of existing autophagy modulatory compounds. Conjugating the versatile characteristics of nanoparticles with autophagy modulators may render these drugs safer and more effective for cancer treatment. Here, we review current standing questions on the biology of autophagy in tumor progression, and precursory studies and the state-of-the-art in harnessing nanomaterials science to enhance the specificity and therapeutic potential of autophagy modulators.

Automated summary

In recent years, nanotechnology has provided new tools for the more effective treatment of cancer. Specifically, advances in biomaterials designed for drug delivery have the potential to overcome the limitations and side effects of traditional therapies. However, the use of autophagy in cancer treatment is currently limited due to contextual effects, low bioavailability, and non-targeted delivery of autophagy modulatory compounds. By combining the characteristics of nanoparticles with autophagy modulators, these drugs may become safer and more effective for cancer treatment.